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Friday, 23 December 2011

I know everyone says it buy seriously, where has this year gone? Luke has been at school for a whole term and boy was it a busy one! We had a letter virtually every day asking for something or other ie/ Christmas fair, shoebox appeal, sponsor forms etc.

He also performed in his first ever school Christmas play, it wasn't the traditional nativity play but the '12 days of Christmas'. I offered my facepainting services and in return was given front row seats. Luke was one of the 12 lords a leaping and in rehearsal had refused to play his air guitar and jump around. On the day though he came up trumps and made mummy, daddy and Nannie very proud. And yes, as you would expect I cried!

We are on the countdown for Christmas now and only 2 more sleeps till the big man arrives. I love doing craft and have made a conscious effort of making festive things with Luke. Yesterday, I asked him if he would like to make a Gingerbread house. I had seen a few 'make your own' kits around but Luke decided he wanted to make our own from scratch. It took ruddy ages, I was so stressed with it but it came together wonderfully and I'm so proud of it. We're taking it to the family get together on Christmas day to be demolished by kids. At that point I will be crying!

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

It really has been a whole month since I last posted. Ooooops. I'm working virtually 7 days a week and when I do have a day off I have to step away from the laptop.

Luke has settled into school much better since the half term, he did have a wobble one day and cried for half an hour after I'd left but the teacher called me and reassured me he was calming down. It was about half an before I was due to go on air on 'Toddler Talk' so as you can imagine it was quite difficult, as the saying goes 'The show must go on'.

It is fantastic news that Redshift Radio are again on 87.7 FM from 21st November to 18th December, this is my second FM broadcast! I am so so proud to be part of the team and such a professional set up. If you are 10 miles radius of Crewe you should be able to pick us up in your car, otherwise you can still listen on www.redshiftradio.co.uk

At the time, I was unsure when school holidays were so when I found out Luke's school were having an inset day on the 21st October that was even better!

We set off at 10am on Friday and arrived around 3pm, a 5 hour journey with a 4 year old was much easier than we anticipated, especially as we had borrowed a DVD player to keep Luke occupied.

We arrived at a sunny Berwick and although our caravan wasn't ready straight away, we were still able to use the facilities on the park. There was a fantastic arcade, swimming pool, outdoor pursuits area, restaurants and a shop on site. Also, there was a 9 hole golf course, boating lake and pony trekking. The children are kept entertained with many different activities, Luke enjoyed the Letterland treasure hunt, archery and especially loved meeting 'Bradley Bear' for breakfast and watching the evening entertainment shows.

We had a busy but at the same time, relaxing weekend (well I did as Luke was all for daddy again!) The site is also dog friendly so our family pet, Fizz came along too.

I'll definitely be looking out for the vouchers again for another bargain break, it was well worth it!

Sunday, 16 October 2011

Since my last post things have not gotten any better. Luke is still not over enthused about going to school. Every day last week he uttered the dreaded words 'I don't want to go to school' my heart sinks every time I hear them and my only way to deal with it is to divert him with another conversation.

Once he's at school he is fine but then when I pick him up again he is like the devil child and refuses to listen to me and is having meltdowns over the slightest thing. For example, he had a hole in his jeans the other day and totally freaked out shouting and screaming. Also, he is running off ahead of me when we walk home from school and I spend my whole time yelling at him to 'Stop'.

On Thursday night, he woke at 10pm after being in bed for 3 hours and he just cried for an hour. He didn't have a temperature, he was just upset but we didn't know why. The only way we managed to settle him was to put him in our bed.

It's another Monday morning tomorrow and we all know how that feels. I am already dreading what it will bring. I have volunteered to read with the children and tomorrow is my day so hopefully that will cheer him up. The school breaks for half term on Friday and although I am looking forward to having my baby boy at home with me again, I'm also dreading battling with him trying to get him back to school after half term.

The joys of parenthood eh?!.........saying that, I wouldn't change it for the world!

Saturday, 1 October 2011

Luke had settled into his first week of school very well but this week has been a bit wobbly. He has had a few late nights due to my birthday but he's also been waking up in the night which is unlike him. Tiredness has taken its toll this week and going into school has been more of a challenge. I know he is fine once he's there but Separation Anxiety has always been an issue.

When Luke was around 3 months old, he totally rejected Mark at bedtime, it was a terrible time and very upsetting for us all. However, we took advice from the Health visitor who suggested we stick at it and not to give in and now and it worked!! Now Luke can't wait for his daddy to finish work and adores him. Its just another obstacle in the world of parenting.

Mark & I had a dance lesson with Caroline Coles from 'My Wedding Dance' and we performed it on the night to a surprised audience. He did me proud and soon relaxed into it half way through.

It was wonderful to see all my family and friends together again and just made me realise how lucky I am to have these people around me. My own little pride and joy wasn't around on the night, with starting school we thought it would be too much for him to have such a late night. However, he had a fab time with Alison Bowett, Nantwich Childminder and slept fantastically well.

I have been totally pampered and spoilt, I've had over 10 bottles of champagne, beauty treatments, money and gorgeous gifts.

Sunday, 18 September 2011

It only seems like yesterday when I took this photo of Luke when he was a day old, that was 4 and a half years ago. My big boy is starting school full time tomorrow, its the day I've been dreading for ages. My baby is grown up and going to big school. I purposely put off taking any party bookings this weekend so Mark, Luke and I could spend some quality time together. Yesterday we went to Chester Zoo and today we spent time playing at home and getting organised for the big week ahead.

Mondays have always been 'Luke and Mummy days' and we have spent them together at the library, at the park, swimming, playdates, at playbarns, with Grandparents or just having lazy days at home. Tomorrow I'm going to be at a loose end and I will feel lost without my sidekick.

On my radio show each week, I end with Bay City Rollers 'Bye Bye Baby', I will be singing this tune in my head tomorrow. I will definitely be taking the tissues with me for the journey home from the school run.

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

I'm so proud to be a part of the Redshift Radio team, as a sole trader it can be pretty lonely so its nice to be a part of a big family again.

Who'd have thought that a year ago I would be presenting my own radio show? I certainly didn't, and after a year, I still find it difficult to call myself a radio presenter.

Over the past year I've networked with some fantastic businesses and joined forces with the award winning photographer, Simon J. Newbury on our Pregnancy Bump Paint & Portrait Project. This led to us appearing on Granada Reports as well as all 3 of the local newspapers.

I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to have my own show on the radio and here's to another year!

Wednesday, 7 September 2011

This time last year I was applying for school places for Luke, and ever since then we have been telling him that he will be going to big school soon, not sure if I was preparing him for school or myself! Well, that day was today. Sob sob!

Most of his friends started yesterday but today was Luke's first day. I felt nervous and had butterflies all morning, I was careful not to be too over enthusiastic and careful not to show him I was petrified for him too! My bottom lip was quivering on the short walk to the Weaver school which was made worse when I bumped into a friend who asked 'How are you feeling?'.

Luke's friend, Lewis was already at in the classroom, so I told him to look for Lewis and in he trotted, he turned round, waved and shouted 'See you later!' without a backward glance. Luckily, Lewis's mummy, Heather was with me so we walked away from the school and didn't shed a tear at all!

When I picked him up he was full of it but when I asked what he had been doing he told me 'I can't tell you, its a secret'.

I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that the rest of his taster days will be as smooth. I think the real tears will come on 19th September when he goes full time 9am till 3pm, and I don't mean from Luke!

Sunday, 21 August 2011

A few months ago, Sarah Bird, one of the organisers of the 'Just So Festival' was a guest on 'Toddler Talk', my radio show on Redshift Radio. She came on to promote this years festival on 19-21 August. Sarah and Rowan organised the first one last year, their vision was to organise a family friendly festival offering music, theatre, workshops within a wonderous and beautiful landscape near Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

I had never been to a festival before and decided to visit for a day rather than the whole weekend camping. We made our packed lunch and set off bright and early yesterday to sunny Leek, in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Our first delight of the day was seeing the Gruffalo, I was more excited than Luke! There were various workshops taking place, Pirate workshops, lantern making, painting and other craft activities. Many children were dressed up as fairies, pirates and superheroes, including our own little batman donning his knights sword. For those with small babies, there was a sensory area and a feeding tent too. We had our picnic at a man-made beach where there was also Punch & Judy, Ice creams and puppet shows.

The highlight of our day was the Clown workshop, we spent an hour playing games as a family, we had great fun and was great to see Luke running around and mixing with complete strangers.

Just walking round the forest, being in the outdoors and joining in with the spirit of things will stay in memory forever. I can't wait for next year and from all the comments friends made about my photos on Facebook, I'm sure they will be joining me too.

Well done Sarah and Rowan, I hope you managed to enjoy the weekend, you did an amazing job!

Monday, 8 August 2011

I've been on a bit of a mission to get Luke to take up a hobby and just recently we've tried swimming lessons, gym sessions and football, all of which have been unsuccessful. I was stressing myself out by his lack of enthusiasm for everything and worrying that he would never settle into anything.

Alison Bowett, who runs Nantwich Baby Group organised an outing today to Cheshire Pony Parties, I booked Luke onto it but did not anticipate him taking part. He loves animals in general but recently in Majorca he refused the opportunity to ride a pony so I didn't expect too much.

Luke was adamant he wasn't going to ride one, and just wanted to look at them. When we first arrived, each child was handed a brush to groom Poppy the pony. Luke was very tentative at first but by the time we were introduced to the second pony, Maisie he was getting into it a bit more. Luke loves being a little helper so was thrilled when he was invited to help find the ribbons and clips to decorate Maisie's mane. Then he held the lead and walked round with Maisie, but still absolutely adamant he wasn't going to ride one.

We queued up to just have a photo sitting on Poppy and still he kept saying 'I'm just having a sit, not a ride' but as children always prove you wrong, he sat and then was led round. I was thrilled to bits, not only because I was getting my monies worth but because I knew he would love it. Last year, he'd ridden on a donkey and loved it. It's not as cheap as football or swimming lessons but I may have found something that Luke enjoys!

For more details on Cheshire Pony Parties, go to http://www.cheshireponyparties.co.uk/index.php

Monday, 1 August 2011

Luke finished pre-school the day before we jetted off to not so sunny Majorca, I had been feeling emotional all day as I hate saying Goodbye and knew I would shed a tear. It was very sad saying goodbye to the staff especially as Luke has been there since he was 9 months old.

Since returning from holiday, it has suddenly hit me that Luke will not be going to pre-school anymore and he is going to 'Big school' in September. I am making the most of my time with him during August and have put big crosses in my diary on Mondays and Thursdays to enjoy days out and 'Mummy Days'.

Today, was one of our so-called 'Mummy Days', we started the day by baking a Honey Tea Loaf, then we headed over to Nantwich Lake with the picnic bag and a ball for Fizz, (the dog) and then fed the ducks. We had a lovely couple of hours and even taught Luke how to play Pooh Sticks, which he was totally obsessed with and has collected a number of sticks to play another day.

I'm going to miss him like crazy when he goes to school, I'm filling up now just thinking about it!

Sunday, 31 July 2011

Our jolly holiday to Majorca has been and gone but we had a lovely relaxing week despite the rubbish weather. On Sunday it rained non-stop but Mark who is an F1 enthusiast wasn't too bothered as he'd managed to find a seat by the All inclusive bar and watched the whole race!

The Aparthotel Ola Isobel, where we stayed for 7 nights, had very mixed reviews on the internet. But in my previous life as a Travel Agent (14 years experience) I read all the comments with an open mind. Cala Bona is a suitable resort for families, very quiet, it was a shingle beach but the children still managed to find sand beneath it. The harbour area had some lovely places to sit and take it all in. You could take a local bus journey or 40 minute walk to the busier resort of Cala Millor which had more shops and bars and a sandy beach. The Sangria and Paella were to die for and now within a few days of being back, its back to reality.

August is one busy month for Hullabaloo Kids, can't complain though, it will all be going towards the 2012 holiday fund!

Monday, 11 July 2011

After a busy weekend, today is my day of rest. Saturday was the annual Nantwich Fun Day, and the busiest I've experienced, I think I must have painted 90 faces! On Sunday I was booked to entertain at a Christening/1st Birthday and painted at least 20 faces as well as balloon modelling and party games.

Today, I will be mostly spending time with my mum, catching up, and we may venture into Nantwich for lunch and some Nibbly Fish treatment.

I always feel guilty when I spend time away from my boys but in less than 2 weeks we will be spending a whole week together on the beautiful Island of Majorca. I will be leaving my phone at home and nothing will tempt me to check Facebook, Twitter or emails for a whole week. Goodness knows how I will cope!

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

I've only been to this event once as a mummy, the other years I've either been dancing or as an exhibitor at the Nantwich Family Fun Day. This year will be my 3rd year facepainting. I'm always pleased to be a part of this local event as I get to meet many people and its a great way of spreading the word about 'Hullabaloo Kids'.

Its held at Barony Field in Nantwich on Saturday 9th July from 10am till 4pm. Its a free event and a real fun family day out. There is everything to entertain children from a funfair, dog displays, donkey rides, train rides, inflatables and lots lots more. Pop over and say hello!

Monday, 4 July 2011

It was the Gruffalo Movie event on Saturday, another Free event fundraising for Charlie Mann's Meningitis Trust Fund and Lucy Coleman's Flowertot fund.It was by far our biggest event, I was so overwhelmed by the response, especially as I only booked it with Mark Brisbourne, the Community Arts Manager at Malbank School around 3 weeks ago.

We made finger puppets, storytelling and the usual popcorn and refreshments were available for a short while, unfortunately we ran out as I wasn't expecting anywhere near the 49 families that attended. We raised £90 for the charities.

The next one is Saturday 16th July, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. The fun starts at 10.30am. Contact me to book your space by emailing sharon@hullabalookids.net or join the group on Facebook 'Hullabaloo Kids South Cheshire'

Thursday, 23 June 2011

Simon J. Newbury and myself joined forces back in January for an innovative package to offer Bump Art for pregnant mums. We called it 'Paint & Portrait' and have got quite a collection in our portfolio. I paint the bump and Simon photographs it.

With thanks to Toby Robinson, we have had 3 fabulous press releases in all the local papers, front page news on both the Guardian and Sentinel and a double page spread in the Chronicle. A researcher on Granada TV saw the Chronicle article and approached me with an interest in featuring us on Granada Reports. I couldn't believe it, and was so excited. I think I will keep the ansafone message forever!

After an energetic Tippy Toes Dance class in Sandbach, I headed over to Simon's Studio in Nantwich to meet Paul Crone, the lively presenter of Granada Reports and his cameraman Simon. Kayleigh Dixon was my willing model, I was expecting to have a shaky hand but it was surprisingly very steady.

Along with myself and Simon, Claire Pierce and Lauren Pakeman, who'd had their bumps painted and have since given birth, were also interviewed. There was lots of banter, lots of laughs and Paul made us all feel very relaxed.

The show went out at 6pm tonight, I was nervous, excited and anxious about the whole programme and almost set my house on fire waiting for it to come on. I'd left a pan on the stove and let it boil dry!!! Cripes!!

Mark made it home in time to sit and watch it with me, we both applauded when it finished, and I almost shed a tear.

The phone rang almost immediately with an enquiry and Facebook & Twitter went crazy! Its been a surreal and crazy day and although it wasn't anywhere near 15 minutes of fame I absolutely loved it!

Monday, 6 June 2011

Saturday was one of my rare days off and as the weather was so beautiful we decided to head off for a family day out to the beach. We loaded the car up and went over to Southport. It was Luke's first time there and he absolutely loved it, we built sandcastles, ate fish and chips and walked along the prom!I was a bit disappointed he didn't want to ride a donkey though as I have a photo of my sister and I riding on donkeys on Southport beach when we were young!

Friday, 20 May 2011

On Saturday 28th May, we are doing another Family Movie Event at Malbank School, Disney's Peter Pan is our chosen movie. It all kicks off at 10.30am and finish at 12pm. Its a relaxed event with plenty of space for children to run around if they wish.

We're encouraging children to wear their fancy dress costumes, as princesses & pirates and we will be doing crafts and entertainment. Light refreshments will be available and a raffle for a crocodile cake, kindly donated by Emma Bratt. All monies go towards the Meningitis Trust in Charlie Mann's fund and Lucy Coleman's Flowertot Fund. It is a FREE event and we always have lots of hun.

If you would like to come along please get in touch for more details sharon@hullabalookids.net

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Hi, its been ages since my last post, Easter has been and gone and after 5 days break I am back to it full pelt.

My existing classes are busier than ever so I have now decided to start a couple more classes in the Willaston Area on Fridays at 9.30am.

Multi Sensory play for babies incorporate activities to such as baby signing, massage and dance. We explore the babies senses including touch, vision, sound and smell.

We work with a wide range of equipment including bubbles, mirrors, scarves, feathers, play parachutes, balls, fabrics, textured toys, puppets, musical instruments, soft play, books and many more.The classes are designed to be stimulating, yet low key and gentle to avoid over stimulation..

We learn about bonding through touch and play. We encourage eye to eye contact and facial communication. From smiling at baby to mirroring babies expressions, these activities can become fun in a class environment!

We enjoy gentle exercises to promote development. We play games while enjoying tummy time, sitting up and standing if baby is old enough and all activities are tailored to your little ones' age and ability. We even do treasure time which the children just love.

If you are interested in attending the class please send me an email to sharon@hullabalookids.net

Friday, 8 April 2011

On Monday 4th April, Redshift Radio transmitted their first ever FM broadcast on 87.7FM. Dr Gav & Liz have worked flat out to get this off the ground and I'm so proud to be part of the team.

My first FM show was on Wednesday and I was so nervous, just like it was my first ever show. Anna Woodhart from Waterbabies and Rebecca & Denise from Arbonne International were my guests. I'd lie if I said the show went without a hitch but it wasn't as bad as I expected, the listeners would never have known. By 5pm I was back in the studio presenting a drivetime show with Simon J. Newbury. I had such a ball and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am proud to call myself a radio presenter now!

If you're within 10 miles radius of Crewe you can tune in to 87.7 FM or you can listen on line on www.redshiftradio.co.uk

A week ago I was frantically twisting modelling balloons into Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the little green alien to raffle off for the Toy Story Family Movie event. (see photo)The movie was well attended and we raised £91.53 for the Meningitis Trust in memory of Charlie Mann. Deborah Wainwright from Cakes By Deborah Jayne made Toy Story cupcakes which were sold for 50p, and we had the usual popcorn and soft drinks for a small donation. I offered my balloon modelling skills and made swords and dogs, these went down well and the queue was as long as when the children were waiting for facepainting!

Brilliant day and had some great feedback! Thank you to everyone who attended and especially to Deborah for the yummy cakes, Gwen for helping with the raffle and Mark for helping with balloons and just always being there for me!

Can't wait for the next one which is Peter Pan on Saturday 28th May, and children can dress up as fairies or pirates!

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

The next FREE Family Movie event is on Saturday 2nd April at Malbank Community Cinema. We are showing TOY STORY which starts at 10.30am.Your children are not expected to sit down during the whole movie so don't worry if you would like to come but worried about how they will be, bring them along. It is a very relaxed event!

We will be providing cakes and popcorn for a donation towards Meningitis Trust in memory of Charlie Mann and again I will be offering Facepainting and Toy Story Crafts.

If you would like to attend please send me an email to sharon@hullabalookids.net

Friday, 25 February 2011

It has been common knowledge for a while now but I've only just managed to blog about it. I'm rubbish, I know!

'Redshift Radio' which was launched online in September last year, has now been awarded a 28-day test licence by Ofcom which starts on Monday 4th April and ends on Sunday 1st May.

We are now a team of 45 presenters and we broadcast 14 hours a day with a variety of community shows, one of these shows being my show 'Toddler Talk'. It's a parenting show offering expert advice and discussions from everything and anything from pregnancy to parenthood, and I'm live every Wednesday 10am till 12pm.

Gavin Hammond and Liz Southall (who I've dedicated a post to before) have worked flat out to get it off the ground and I'm so proud to be a part of this team. Being a sole trader can get pretty lonely so to be a part of a team again is a great boost.

Be sure to spread the word and help to get our local shopkeepers in Crewe and Nantwich to tune in from 4th April on 87.7FM. In the meantime go to www.redshiftradio.co.uk to hear us before we go FM. Please also go to our Facebook Page and 'like' us.

Saturday, 19 February 2011

It was the Family Movie Event at Malbank School today, showing 'The Lion King'. We had over 100 people through the door which was pretty good going considering we were not allowed to advertise it as such due it being a community not-for-profit event. I used Facebook and my class contacts to promote the movie and I'm so pleased at how popular it was.

I offered face painting and asked for a donation for 'The Meningitis Trust' in memory of Charlie Mann who sadly died from Meningitis, all proceeds went to Charlie's fund. We raised £100 which I'm delighted with. Simon J. Newbury Photography photographed the children and offered a print on the day. Above is a photo of Luke and his friends, Chloe & Stella taken by Tina Newbury.

I've already started planning for the next one. It will be on Saturday 2nd April at 10.30am and this time its 'Toy Story' with optional fancy dress for the children.

Go to 'Hullabaloo Kids South Cheshire' on Facebook and 'like' the page and you will receive regular updates of classes and events.

Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Today was a real poignant day for me, every Wednesday between 10am and 12pm, I present my radio show 'Toddler Talk' on Redshift Radio.

I had a local lady, Katy Mann as a guest who had lost her 15 week son, Charlie to Meningitis. She is such an inspirational woman and is campaigning hard to raise awareness of this terrible disease to save lives of others. She has been keeping a blog in Charlie's memory and also using Twitter to spread the word, she has also managed to get 200 famous followers to retweet too.

Another amazing woman who appeared on the show by phone was Sophia Mason, who lost her unborn daughter at 39 weeks. Her campaign is 'Chloe's "Count the Kicks" Campaign' on http://countthekicks.org.uk/. Sophia also talked about her battle with Meningitis at 17 when she lost both her legs.

You can hear the interview on the podcast on www.redshiftradio.co.uk

My job on the show is offer advice to parents and I hope I managed to do it justice today.

Friday, 28 January 2011

Today was one of my rare days off and I got to spend the whole with my gorgeous boy. We started off with breakfast in bed, hot cross buns and cereal, then we had fun with play doh making a mouth with removable teeth, a tooth fairy, a child, a pillow and coins.

Lunch was a carpet picnic in the living room, tuna pittas with carrot sticks. Then we made finger puppets.

In between all the mummy activities, I managed to put 3 loads of washing in, hoovered, clean the kitchen, bathroom and conservatory and make dinner!! Phew!!

I'm now enjoying a well deserved glass of wine, I just love being a Mummy!

WeaverHouse are also holding a competition to win a complementary treatment to the value of £42.00. All people have to do is go to the website and complete the contact us form. In the enquiry box, put RRHW, and thats it! A winner will be drawn at random at the end of February.

On Wed 19 January from 10am Tom Austen will be taking questions here on RedShift Radio's Toddler Talk show regarding the help Osteopathy can offer children, tune in to win a comp treatment for an infant.

Thursday, 13 January 2011

The Christmas Movie event was extremely successful so I have been in discussion with Malbank School to have this as a regular event.

Our first one will be held on Saturday 19th February at 10.30am, we are showing 'The Lion King' and I will be offering Free Facepainting before, during and after the film. The whole event is free so if you're available come along with your family and friends!

Wednesday, 5 January 2011

I am into my 4th year of trading as Hullabaloo Kids South Cheshire, and each year I come up with a new venture, 2008 was Baby Sign, 2009 Toddler Dance, 2010 Facepainting and this year is no different which was not my intention as I have loads on as it is!

I have joined forces with Simon J. Newbury Photography and we are going to be offering a 'Paint & Portrait' deal for Mums-to-be. You may have heard of pregnant women getting a cast of their bulging belly, now it is more popular to get your bump painted (instead of your face) as a novel keepsake.

The above photo is an old friend, Clare Mossford who was willing to model for me and was 4 days from her due date. This was my first attempt so pretty pleased with my efforts.

If you know of anyone with a baby bump who would like to a to have this done please pass my details on 07973 479471 or email sharon@hullabalookids.net